George C. Summerfield, professor emeritus of nuclear engineering
and of macromolecular science and engineering, died Feb. 6 at
University Hospital. He was 58.

A member of the faculty for three decades, Summerfield helped the
Department of Nuclear Engineering earn its reputation as one of the
best in the United States. After receiving his B.S. (1958) and Ph.D.
(1962) degrees in physics from Michigan State University, Summerfield
came to the U-M in 1962 as a postdoctoral scholar in nuclear
engineering. He joined the faculty as an assistant professor of
nuclear engineering in 1963 and was promoted to professor in 1970.
Prior to his 1992 retirement, Summerfield was a member of the U-M's
Macromolecular Science and Engineering Center.

"George Summerfield was a warm friend and valued colleague," said
William R. Martin, associate dean of the College of Engineering and
professor of nuclear engineering. "As undergraduate program adviser,
he counseled hundreds of students with care and thoughtfulness. As a
faculty member, he will be remembered for his formidable intelligence
and rapier wit. We will all remember George as a true friend who was
always ready to have a cup of coffee and discuss the day's events. We
will and do miss him."

A nationally recognized expert on neutron transport theory,
Summerfield published over 50 scholarly articles, including a
well-known paper that proved the completeness of the half-range
solutions to the linear Boltzmann equation.

He is survived by his wife, Suzanne of Ann Arbor; five children,
George C. (Cindy) Summerfield, Carol Summerfield, Linda (Gar)
Crispell, Susan Summerfield, and Tobin Summerfield; four
grandchildren; one sister; two nieces and two nephews.

Memorial services have taken place. Contributions may be made to
the National Diabetes or the Juvenile Diabetes Associations.